With Bated Breath
by MenShouldBeLikeKleenex
Summary: She took a sip of her champagne. Then someone grabbed her shoulders and whipped her around, causing her to gasp and struggle to keep her drink from spilling. "Cassie," a voice breathed. A very familiar voice. Her eyes darted up to see someone she hoped to never see again. "Rafe." His fingers tightened on her shoulders at her exhale of his name. (OC/Rafe Adler)
1. Chapter 1

Cassie played with the hem of her navy blue dress, her eyes darting around the room. Sullivan stood beside her talking to Nathan and Sam as they tried to figure out how to get the cross. The brothers mostly ignored her, not quite happy that Sullivan invited her to help out. She had money. That was the only reason she was there. Not the fact that she had been a rising rock climber and athlete before her father passed and gave her his business.

Nathan and Sam disappeared, but Cassie just grabbed another flute of champagne, ignoring them. Sullivan patted her shoulder. "They're just annoyed that they need help."

"Whatever you say, Sully," she said quietly. Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. That was how she normally carried herself, finding that softness and a quiet voice often worked better than yelling and anger. It was how she conducted herself while running her business.

They continued to exchange small talk, though Sully occasionally muttered something in his comm to Nathan or Sam. She took a sip of her champagne. Then someone grabbed her shoulders and whipped her around, causing her to gasp and struggle to keep her drink from spilling.

"Cassie," a voice breathed. A very familiar voice. Her eyes darted up to see someone she hoped to never see again.

"Rafe." His fingers tightened on her shoulders at her exhale of his name. Her eyes darted to Sullivan, taking in his quickly darkening expression. Rafe glanced over, following her gaze. He stiffened and dropped his hands to his sides.

"Victor Sullivan," Rafe said. He backed away from Cassie, but stayed closer than would be deemed appropriate for strangers. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Didn't expect to see you here either, Rafe." Sullivan glanced between the two. Cassie refused to look either men in the eye, instead gazing at her blue flats. Rafe took turns looking at Sullivan with barely disguised anger and at Cassie, his face shifting into something else as he took in her nervous body language. "Do you two know each other?"

"You could say that," Rafe hissed. Cassie shifted awkwardly, tugging on the edges of her dress. "We dated for four years."

"Oh!' Sullivan looked at Cassie after nearly choking on his drink. This quiet, polite girl had dated Rafe Adler- an angry, violent man- for four year? It didn't seem to add up. But by the way she was acting and his tone, he would assume that she broke up with him.

"If you excuse me," Cassie muttered, her face pink from the whole situation. "I have to use the restroom." With that she hurried away. Rafe watched her with barely masked emotions, his eyes sparking with possession and anger.

Cassie let out a breath as she shut the door to the bathroom. Seeing Rafe again after a year of separation was more nerve wrecking than she thought it would be. Her heart still fluttered a bit when she saw his handsome face again, her breath caught in her throat as he touched her. She felt like a teenager again.

She needed to pull herself together.

Cassie stayed in the bathroom for a few more minutes, gathering her thoughts and making sure that Rafe would no longer be there when she returned. Confident she would be fine, she left the bathroom and hurried back to Sullivan's side. The old man glanced at her before begrudgingly throwing in a bid for the cross.

Across the room, Cassie could see Rafe fuming as he drove the bidding higher. Finally Sullivan stopped, letting Rafe win. She grabbed his arm, leaning in closer. "Did Nathan come through?"

"Yeah, the lights are about to go out," Sully whispered into her ear. He could feel eyes boring into the back of his head, but he ignored it, knowing exactly who it was. "As soon as they do head for the door."

"You got it." Cassie leaned back. She slipped her hand into the pocket of her dress (something she insisted be a part of every formal outfit she wore) and pulled out a rather large sum of Euros.

Not even a minute later, the lights went out, gasps and shouts ringing out in the air. Sully grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the door. They had just reached it when the lights came back on. Shuffling past the guard at the door, Cassie handed the man the money leaning in to whisper, "No one else leaves this room," in Italian.

The doors shut behind them with a definite clang, silence enveloping the two.

"Why didn't you tell me you dated Rafe?" Sully finally asked.

"I didn't think it was relevant." Cassie didn't look at him as she grabbed the gun from the thigh holster hidden by her dress.

"I guess you didn't know he worked with Nathan and Sam in the past," Sully said with a sigh. They were outside now, heading toward a getaway car. Sully would occasionally yell something to Nathan and Sam. "Why'd you break up with him."

"I hardly see why that matters," Cassie said. They ducked behind a column as two guards darted past, heading toward what sounded like gunfire. "I guess the Drakes got into trouble."

"Don't they always," Sully said with a slight chuckle.

* * *

 **I named the main character before I saw the epilogue**


	2. Chapter 2

Cassie had no problem keeping up with the Drakes in Scotland, something that surprised them greatly. She finally told them that she was a pretty good rock climber in high school and college. Nathan laughed, honestly not taking her for the type to be sporty.

The ledge that the brothers were currently standing on was too small for another person, so she found purchase on a small ledge just to their left, waiting for them to move on. Nathan stopped by a crack in the wall, a voice wafting through the rock.

It was Nadine was speaking. Nathan and Sam glanced at each other. They didn't want to move in fear of giving themselves away. They motioned for Cassie to sit tight, listening in when Rafe entered the room. Sam watched as Cassie tensed when Rafe's voice entered the picture, him being loud enough for her to hear it.

He did know about her relationship with Rafe. The man had mentioned her a few times after he had sprung the older man from jail. He especially remembered when she decided to leave. Rafe had been short with everyone for months, his angry barely in check. He didn't know much about why she left, but he knew that Rafe wasn't happy she did. If anyone mentioned her, he would blow up, his anger reaching an all time high. Rafe definitely had feelings for her, though he wasn't sure if they were healthy.

Finally they were gone, and the two brothers moved on so Cassie could advance. She paused on the ledge, leaning up on her toes to peek into the room where Rafe stood. He was bent over the table, his fists clenched. He was angry. A familiar emotion. He always tried to hide his anger around her, but every once in awhile he'd slip up, showing her the dangerous side of him. But despite that, she thought that he looked beautiful in that moment, her heart missing a beat.

Cassie moved on, ignoring the looks Nathan and Sam gave her. They pressed forward after that, Sam carrying her across gaps the required their grappling hooks to traverse. It felt weird being pressed up against his side. Her arms would wrap around his neck, his arms around her waist. It seemed far too intimate for people who were practically strangers. Hell, it was too intimate for people who were friends.

When he let go of her, she shied away, sticking to the edges as the continued to traipse around the caves. She didn't add anything to their comments or banter, instead just focusing on making it through.

It wasn't long before they reached a room with scales right in the middle. She let herself drift to the side of the room as they reasoned it out and the map revealed itself. She also did not let herself partake in their argument. Cassie stayed by the entrance, uncomfortable. The entire place gave her the creeps.

Then there was the explosion. The entire room shook as the flames and smoke shot toward the brothers. Cassie was thrown off balance, crashing to the ground rather unceremoniously. She was up within seconds, her gun pointed at the Shoreline men as the poured in through the newly formed hole in the wall.

"Guns on the ground." Nadine. Cassie and her made eye contact, neither woman willing to show the other weakness. It was Cassie who broke first, however, to glance at the brothers. They would get shot at if she didn't drop her weapon. Slowly, she put it down, raising her hands into the air. "Grab her. I'm sure Rafe would like to have a word."

"Hey," Cassie growled as two Shoreline men latched onto her arms, dragging her out of the room. She could hear Nathan and Sam yelling after her. Then she heard a large bang and gunfire and yelling. "Nathan? Sam?" Cassie struggled in the men's grip, but they held fast.

"Let's get out of here," Nadine called as she sprinted up the slope, a few men following behind her. The rest, Cassie assume from the echoing gunfire, were fighting the Drakes down in the chamber. "The whole place is going to come down."

"Where are they?" Cassie asked, her eyes wide. Nadine barely spared her a glance as she stormed by. "You're just going to let them die?"

"They've killed more than a few of my men," Nadine hissed as way of an explanation. She got close to the girl, her breath on Cassie's face. "It's one less thorn in my side." Nadine grabbed Cassie's arm, pulling her forward.

* * *

 **Just as a heads up, this is an incredibly short story. There's only four chapters total.**


	3. Chapter 3

When the door opened, Cassie tensed in the chair she sat in. She knew who had entered without looking up. He said nothing, just stood in the doorway, waiting for her to say something, anything.

"No rope?" Cassie said lightly, trying to get the emotions welling up inside her from spilling over. He was here in this room with her, alone. No watchful party guests nor friendly Sullivan's to keep the conversation from straying exactly where she didn't want it to go. "I half expected to be tied down."

"That can be arranged if you want." She looked up and saw his smirk, but it soon faded to a frown. "Did they hurt you? I didn't expect them to abduct you like that." He entered the room now. She stood from her seat, her hand still resting on the arm of the chair.

Suddenly he was so close to her, not touching, but so close it was intoxicating. Her breath rattled in her chest as she took in his cologne, her head feeling light. His hand came up to her face, but he stopped just short.

"Cas." It was so quiet, barely there, but she heard it all the same. Goose bumps broke out across her arms as she stared up into his eyes. They stared at back at her with a familiar intensity that had always scared her when they dated. She didn't like the helplessness it elicited from her.

She turned away and just like that, the spell was over. Rafe stepped back, running a tired hand through his hair. "You never answered my question."

"No, I'm fine." Cassie played with the edges of her shirt. Once again, she was looking at the ground, her eyes trained on her sneakers. She could hear Rafe sigh and his shuffling feet. When she glanced up again, he was pacing around the room.

"Tell me why." He didn't stop or elaborate, but Cassie knew exactly what he was talking about. There were tears prickling her eyes as she slowly sunk back into the chair. He took in her tears and cursed slightly. He was by her side almost instantly to wipe the tears from her eyes. His hand slipped down to cup her cheek and she couldn't help but lean into the comforting touch. "Why did you leave?"

"Rafe…" she whispered: a warning. She didn't want to talk about it.

"No, Cas, I need you to tell me." He wasn't going to let that slide. He spent a year agonizing over the whys of it all. Not to mention the hair pulling ifs (if he had done this or that would she have stayed?). He needed answers.

"I don't know what to tell you." She hugged herself tightly. She seemed to curl in on herself, her cheek finally leaving Rafe's hand. "You won't like the truth."

"Was there someone else?" Rafe growled. His hand wrapped around her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. It wasn't painful, but the grip was tight, ensuring that she couldn't look away. "Did you leave me for someone else?"

"No," she said with a jerk of her head. It was supposed to be a shake of her head, but his grip stopped the motion. Some of the rage left his face, but there was still a glimmer of it hidden just behind the eyes she's become so attached to. "I didn't leave you for someone else."

"Then what?" He was close to yelling now, his voice rising in pitch. It was the first time he ever raised his voice at her. He watched her shake, her bottom lip trembling. He drew back again and let her chin go. He didn't want to hurt her. He never wanted that to happen.

She didn't say anything, just bit her lip and turned away. Rafe knew that he wasn't going to get anything out of her. Whenever she got like this, the only thing she would say was what she wanted to. She would divulge nothing else.

"Can… Can I at least have a kiss?" Rafe asked. His head hung slightly, his shoulders slumped. Cassie knew that he would never show such weakness to anyone else. To him, it was important to always exude confidence.

Gently touching his cheek, she brought her lips to his. At first he did nothing, just savoring the feeling that he thought about for the better part of a year. Then, almost agonizingly slowly, he started to move his mouth. His soft lips parted and ever so gently coaxed hers open, his tongue slithering out to take up residence in her mouth.

His arms snaked around his waist and pulled her up. He was taller than her, but he simply stooped his shoulders a tiny bit. Her arms found themselves wrapped around his neck before she really knew what she was doing. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, her mind in overdrive. My god how she missed the feeling of him pressed against her. It was intoxicating.

All too soon, the kiss was over and Rafe was retreating. He kept his arms around her as he studied his face, memorizing every tiny detail. "I love you."

"I love you too," Cassie whispered. Her head rested against his chest. She could feel his stuttering heatbeat- a comfort.

Rafe stiffened at the admittance, but said nothing for a while, content at the realization that she cared for him.

Finally, he spoke, unable to hold back any longer. "Then why? If you love me, why did you leave?" He spoke quietly, just a slight rumble in his chest. He heard her shuddering breath and knew that she was crying once more. It seemed all his was doing lately was making her cry. "I was going to ask you to marry me."

"I…" Cassie pulled back, but kept her arms around his neck and his arms around her waist. "I was scared. We were getting serious and… I was afraid. My parents didn't have a great marriage- they hated each other in fact. I didn't want that for us; I didn't want us to drift apart and hate each other, so I ended it before that could happen. I figured loving you from afar was better than hating you."

Rafe let out a breath, a relieved laugh escaping him before he could stop it. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her lips, everything he could. "Cas… I think I care about you enough that we'll be ok."

"I don't know," she said with a shake of her head. Her entire childhood had just been listening to one fight after another. She couldn't go through that herself; she wasn't emotionally strong enough.

But Rafe… He never hurt her in anyway. He was always caring and kind. He never showed her his anger or anything else that could be deemed as aggressive. She loved him. She knew that much. She loved him, she knew that. And she knew that he loved her.

"I love you, Cassie. I won't let anything change that," Rafe declared with a definite nod. She giggled slightly at him. Her eyes slipped closed as he kissed her again, putting all his feelings into it.

Cassie let go of all her fears and anxieties. She knew that she would never be anything but unhappy if she let him walk away. It was time to be brave and swallow all her troubles.

"I love you too, Rafe."

* * *

 **Thank you to Wounded Wing and Eochaid for reviewing**


	4. Chapter 4

Rafe refused to let Cassie come with him to Libertalia. He had just gotten her back; he wasn't going to put her in danger just like that. She was angry. She wanted to go and make sure that everyone would be alright. So they made a compromise. She would stay on the boat, surrounded by Shoreline, while he went in search of the treasure.

"Rafe," she called as he and Nadine were about to depart. He turned back, his face softening from the glare he wore around the abrasive woman. "You come back to me, you hear?" She played with the hem of her shirt, her brow creased in worry.

Rafe crossed the boat in strides, taking her chin in his hand and lowering his lips to hers. "I will. I love you, Cas."

"I love you too, Rafe."

* * *

Cassie could hear the explosions from her spot on the ship. With each one, her heart sunk more and more as she realized that Rafe might not make it back alive. Each bang could have been the one that ended his life in a fiery burst of pain. Her fingers twisted around, trying to calm her frayed nerves. The Shoreline men pretty much ignored her, except for one who would mutter some comforting words each time the ship rattled.

She had just gotten him back; she just pushed past her fear of losing him to hatred. Now she might lose him to his obsession for glory. She wasn't quite sure when she started to cry, but she couldn't stop. It seemed that that's all she's been doing lately, but the last week has just been moments of stress strung together by emotional collapses.

Each minute waiting felt like an eternity, ticking by with a damning consistency. Where was he? Surely he should have been back by now. Even the men seemed to be getting agitated.

After a few more agonizing minutes, an engine could be heard drawing closer. Turning, her heart stopped when just Nadine pulled up along side the boat, demanding the mercenaries leave now. As they changed ships, Cassie stood.

"Is he dead?" Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. Nadine had to strain to hear what she said.

"Last I saw, he was alive," Nadine said. Her voice was the softest it's ever been. In a way, she felt sorry for the girl before her. She had lost so much and now here she was, losing the love of her life on some god forsaken island in the middle of nowhere. "But that crazy son of a bitch is going to get himself killed in there."

Cassie just nodded, sitting herself down in the boat. She didn't look at any of them, but they could see her shoulders shaking with barely controlled sobs. One of the men, the one from before, laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"You should come with us." His voice was soft and soothing, everything she needed in that moment. "It isn't safe to stay."

"I can't leave him," Cassie said with a watery smile. "Not again.

The mercenary said nothing more, just patted her shoulder. She heard the boat rumble behind her and then the gentle rocking that signalled their departure.

Cassie was alone.

She broke down, her sobs ripping through her whole body with poorly concealed anguish. There was no sound except for the slight ringing in her ears as blood rushed past. All she could see was the blurry outline of her sneakers. Her arms wrapped around her body, but it was his arms she imagined them to be. God, she just wanted to have him hold her and tell her that everything's going to be all right.

"Hey, babe, it's ok." Suddenly he was there- dirty and bloody, but there. Her mind was playing tricks on her in her weak moment. "Hey, come on, stop crying it's ok. I'm ok."

His hands were on her, wiping her tears and embracing her, pulling her flush against his bleeding chest. It was real; he was real. Her sobs came back with a vengeance and she clung to him. Her hands clenched at his shirt, causing him to grunt in pain.

"You're alive," she breathed. She pulled back to give him space, scouring him to assess his wounds. He had several lacerations on his chest and legs, but they weren't deep. "I thought… I thought you had died."

"I said I would come back, didn't I?" Rafe gave her a small smile, pecking her nose.

"And Avery's treasure?" She instantly regretted asking. His face darkened and his grip on her turned almost painful.

"Those damn Drakes took it from me. I almost died in there."

"Hey," Cassie murmured, catching his attention before he went too far into his rage. "We'll find something else ok?"

Rafe didn't say anything, but he buried his face in her hair. "I love you."

"I love you too." And she meant it. For a year she's been trying to forget her feelings for him, but she couldn't. She didn't want to.

She just wanted a future with him.

* * *

 **Lol I totally forgot I had to upload this. Oops. But this is the end of With Bated Breath, so thank you for those who have read it. Thank you to Wounded Wing, roseimagine, Supposes Erroneously for reviewing**


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